FCPS Part 1 Preparation (Complete Guidelines for All Subjects)

In the Series of FCPS Part 1, we will share complete Guidelines for FCPS Part 1. Remember these guidelines will be for all specialties.

We wanna make you clear that Paper 1 is Same for all the specialties, Paper 2 is different on specialty basis.

Guidelines for Paper 1: 

  • Anatomy : Snell Review
  • Neuro anatomy: Kaplan
  • Physiology:   Brs + chapter of blood and cell physiology from gyuton
  • Pathology:    Brs
  • Embryology: General chapters from Langman or Heigh yield embryo (Complete).
  • Pharmacology: First aid (chapter wise)+ Pharmakokinetics from Lippincott
  • Microbiology/Immunology/Statistics: First Aid USMLE
  • Histology:  Epithelial pages available in this group Photos of FCPS Prep Batch 2005 – 10

So these were for Paper 1. Now we will share you the Outline and Books for different Specialties:

 


1: Guidelines for FCPS Part 1 Medicine and Allied: 

  • Physiology:  BRS , plus few topics from Ganong.
  • Pathology:
    A. General pathology:
    From Robbins. One can do it from BRS or Goljan as well. Important thing is that you must have crystal clear concepts, no matter which book you are studying.
    B. Special Pathology :
    Robbins only, do important topics from MCQ point of view. Rest of special pathology from First Aid USMLE.
  • Micobiology & Immunology: First Aid USMLE
  • Anatomy:
    Gross anatomy:
    1st chapter of Big Snell. Rest of the anatomy from Snell review.
    Neuroanatomy:
    High yield
    Embryology:
    From First Aid USMLE
    Histology:
    Epithelial linings, Collagen types, Cartilage types.
  • Biochemistry: First aid USMLE
  • Pharmacology: First aid Plus ANS, Cardiac Pharmacology and diuretics from Kaplan.
  • Bio-statics and Behavioral Sciences:  First Aid USMLE.

 


2: Guidelines for FCPS Part 1 Surgery and Allied: 

Most important books irrespective of your specialty are:

1: First Aid USMLE: This book, that covers most of your subjects in summary form . It covers some important topics of Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Behavioural Sciences, Pharmacology, Special pathology (most descriptive portion of 1st aid) and some important topics of Embryology and Anatomy. If you ll do this book, you ll actually get summary of majority of subjects from here.

2: BRS Physiology: 
This book is an excellent review but most of students find it difficult to read/retain it. Some go for Kaplan Physiology but that is a useless book.  Read BRS slowly on daily basis so that you may digest it easily.

3: Snells Review: 
The gerenal rule of anatomy is to be diagrammatic. If you have looked at a bone, you ll easily learn whats in the book but if you haven’t seen it,  you will try to imagine it and thats where your energy goes down and you start to hate Anatomy. Snell is a good book but it has worst diagrams so be careful about it. Some people go for Netter Atlas but that is way to complex and should be consulted only and not learnt.

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MCQs Books for Surgery and Allied: 

Prefrence form higher to lower

  • Rabia ali
  • Asim shoaib
  • SK pearls
  • Chandkian

You may also like to Read complete Guidelines for Surgery and Allied by Dr. Shahan here.

 


3: Guidelines for FCPS Part 1 Radiology: 

Study Plan 1: 
Anatomy: (Snell review is enough, No Big Books are needed. Do upper limb, thorax, pelvis perineum lymphatic drainage, abdomen, aorta, celiac trunk, lower limb muscles, compartments with nerve supply.
No need to do origin and insertions, just do those topics which are repeatedly asked in MCQs).
Try to do Rabia ali Anatomy MCQs. Snell review Anatomy MCQs should also be done.  
Its your choice to follow diagrams of Anatomy from NETTER, Google images or your own made notes. 
Priorities: (Asim and shoaib for Medicine & surgery and then chandkians should be done) These mcqs should be on finger tips. 
Past Papers should also be done.
Do not waste Time on Text Books for Histology, Embryology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Special Pathology because these can be covered in MCQs. 
Systemic Physiology should be done from First Aid USMLE or BRS.
Study Plan 2:  
A. RJ last.
B. Clinical Snell’s
C. Snell’s review
D. Kaplan Anatomy: For anatomy try to deal region wise.

Topics:

Abdomen + pelvis. We all know how much important these regions are so why to take risk.
Upper and lower limb. Snell review is more than enough.
Back, head n neck & thorax- imp regions –> Do it from clinical Snell.
Do Neuro from Kaplan and High yield.
Snell review bcqs are important too.
We got around 5 minimum BCQs from Snell review.
Tips for Radiology: 
Understand one thing you are going to be a radiologist so you need to focus on anatomy.
These are imp topics for paper 2, radiology BRS physio + first aid should be targeted for a unit like CVS etc. Its very important.
Osetoprosis is favorite topic of CPSP.
Pathology for paper 2 is important, specially blood and bones.
General Anatomy: BD chaursia or from anywhere.
Embryo– First Aid USMLE
Histology: Rabia Ali BCQs If u want to clear paper in radiology than just remember.

Guidelines for FCPS Part 1 Dentistry: 
Text Books: 

Anatomy:
For anatomy first choice should be NBDE first aid Part 1.
The rest you can use Snell for Head & Neck, Kaplan for Neuroanatomy.

See also  SK Pearls of FCPS Part 1

Physiology and Biochemistry:
NBDE first Aid Part 1 and USMLE First Aid.
The rest you can use BRS or Kaplan

Pathology:
NBDE first Aid Part 1 and USMLE First Aid.
BRS or Goljan Pathology

Pharmacology:
From NBDE First Aid Part ll and USMLE First Aid.
BRS, Kaplan or Lippincot.

Oral Pathology:
NBDE First Aid part ll.
Cawson, Soams or Nevvile

Oral Anatomy, Morphology, Histology:
NBDE First Aid Part 1
or TenCate and fuller

Dental Materials:
McCabe is usually a good book for it.

MCQs Books for Dentistry: 

1) MCQ Book by Dr Jahangir Khan + Coffeedent.org
2) Asim and Shoaib Dentistry
3) MCQ Book by Rabia Ali
4) Dental Materials and Oral Pathology Portions of Dentogist (Basics)

 


Guidelines for FCPS Part 1 Gynae & Obs:

Text Books: 

USMLE First Aid 
Abdomen, pelvis, perineum (Short Snell & Long Snell)
Endocrinology and Reproduction chapters should be done.
Do Physiology, Pathology, Embryology and Histology.

MCQs Books: 

  • SK pink
  • Asim and shoaib
  • Golden 3 and 4 Plus Past Papers

 


Guidelines for FCPS Part 1 Anesthesiology: 

1. Physiology from BRS (Two readings should be given)
2. Anatomy from Snells
3. Neuroanatomy from Kaplan (if you have time read chapter of spinal cord and tracts from Snells Neuroanatomy; From paper 2 point of view Neuroanatomy is very important. Half of anatomy MCQs come from Neuroanatomy in paper 2).
4. Pharmacology from Kaplan (read anaesthetic drugs from Anaesthesia text books of Smith or Morgan).
5. Pathology from BRS ( do only general patho; no need to do special patho )
6. Physics from Basic physics for Anaesthesists by Parbrooks ( do selected topics from syllabus available from CPSP )
7. Embryology from High Yield
8. Histology and general Anatomy too ( just only major topics discussed in mcqs)
9. USMLE First Aid (for comprehensive review)

 


Guidelines for FCPS Part 1 Ophthalmology:

Eye Related Subjects.
EYE Anatomy : SNELL OCULAR ANATOMY from A to Z. Read and learn each and every thing that is written in this book by heart. It is your main weapon in paper B.
EYE Physiology : Jhon ferris eye physiology unit, plus give quick read to GYUTON eye unit it will help you understand those topics that are difficult/deficient in jhon ferris.
EYE Pharmacology : Jhon ferris
EYE Immunology : Jhon ferris

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(FOCUSS ON NEUROANATOMY. SNELL ANATOMY HAVE ENOUGH PATHOLOGY REGARDING EYE, PHYSIO from FRANK NAVEL).


 

Guidelines for FCPS Part 1 ENT: 

  • Anatomy: Brs plus head & neck from big snell and KLM
  • Physiology: Brs plus endo n cns from big guyton
  • Biochemistry: USMLE First aid
  • Pathology: General Patho from BRS. Do endo n renal from goljan and medium robins
  • Pharmacology: USMLE First aid
  • ENT: Do a revise dhingra specially Anatomy and Physio chapters
    Revise USMLE First Aid atleast 3 times
  • Embryology: USMLE First aid plus high yield
  • Neuroantomy: Kaplan plus cranial nerves from Big Snell

 

Guidelines for FCPS Part 1 Psychiatry: 

  • Oxford Text Book of Psychiatry
  • Kaplan’s Synopsis of Psychiatry
  • Companion to Psychiatric Studies
  • British Journal of Psychiatry
  • American Journal of Psychiatry
  • Acta Psychiatrica Schandinavia

 

Guidelines for FCPS Part 1 Pathology:

Time period: 2-3 months max.
Start off by doing BRS for Physiology and Pathology. One quick read and then move on to First Aid for everything (including anatomy, physio, biochem, general pharma, micro and special pathology); General Patho from BRS; High Yield for Embryo (selected chaps only) and Histo from Amir Saleem (Epithelias and glands very imp). For Heamatology, I did Pathoma too with lectures. But primary book is still FA. No need of Goljan or any other book. Just do FA well.
Once on FA, start doing Rabia Ali MCQs unit wise. Don’t panic if you can’t answer most of them correctly. It’s normal in the first read. Use a couple of good erratas to mark the correct answer on the book.
After going through FA the first time, start it again with a second go of Rabia Ali.
After that leave FA for the topics that you find difficult and start asim shoaib with tanveer notes. In the last two to three weeks, it should only be about mcqs especially SK Golden Files (fb discussion), Rabia Ali and Asim Shoaib.

-Do the important files/images in fb group of FCPS Prep Batch 2005-10 and use search bar for confusing mcqs but don’t confuse yourself in the discussions of different questions. They never help. Trust me. Do your own research.
(By Dr. Shaarif Bashir)

 

So these were the guidelines of FCPS Part 1 for different Specialties. Hopefully you find it helpful for your exam Prep.

In the end of-course we should give credits to:

  • FCPS Prep Batch 2005-10
  • Dr. Jahangir Khan MCQs Book
  • Dr. Shahan Saleem
  • Dr. Shaarif Bashir
  • forum.pfmsg.com







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